Politics & Government

Politics & Government

3:30 pm

Fri July 31, 2015

Governor Mike Pence says the state’s investigation of Planned Parenthood was important in the wake of what he calls appalling remarks by senior officials of the national health care provider.

Pence ordered the State Health Department to investigate the abortion provider two weeks ago in the wake of videos allegedly showing national Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of aborted fetal tissue, which is against the law in Indiana.

The first presidential debate is scheduled for Aug. 6th on Fox News. This might seem ridiculous given that the presidential election is 16 months away (for those planning ahead: it's Nov. 8, 2016). But keep two things in mind.

Governor Mike Pence is reaching across party lines to fill an open seat in his administration. Pence announced on Wednesday Democrat Jim Schellinger will head the state’s economic development agency.

Schellinger, who’s served on the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors since Pence took office, will take a leave of absence from his role as CEO of the Indianapolis company CSO Architects. The Hoosier Democrat ran for governor in 2008, losing in the primary.

Governor Mike Pence ceremonially signed two bills into law today that will expand broadband Internet access across the state. Pence says it’s legislation like this that’s driving down the state’s unemployment rate.

The new Broadband Ready Communities Development Center will team with local governments to encourage and approve communications projects that expand Internet access. Pence says last week, Nashville, Ind., became the first area in the state to be approved as broadband ready.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is making his first bid for federal office, announcing Monday he will join a crowded field seeking to replace 9th District Congressman Todd Young.

Zoeller says, as Attorney General, he’s repeatedly battled what he sees as overreach by the federal government, defending Indiana’s right to make its own decisions on everything from EPA regulations to the Affordable Care Act.

The southern Indiana native says he’s running for Congress to continue that battle.

Governor Mike Pence has made his pick to fill a vacancy on the Indiana Court of Appeals – the first such appointment Pence has made in his two and a half years in office. His selection, announced Friday, is Marion County Judge Robert Altice.

Altice has been through this process before – three times he’s been nominated to fill an Appeals Court vacancy. And as Altice put it, the third time was the charm.

Governor Mike Pence Thursday proudly touted Indiana’s continued fiscal strength as he closed the books on the fiscal year. But that strength has Democrats wondering why Pence continues to order state agencies to cut their budgets.

Indiana finished its 2015 fiscal year with a $210 million surplus, helping increase budget reserves to more than $2.1 billion. But state agencies reverted $133 million, meaning if the governor hadn’t required agencies to send any money back, the state still would’ve had a surplus.

Indiana Senator Dan Coats says he’s “profoundly skeptical” of the nuclear agreement announced Tuesday between Iran and a group of nations led by the U.S. It’s an agreement on which Congress will have a say.

Coats, who serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, says he will carefully review the details of the deal before rendering a final opinion. But he says he’s harkening back to a deal President Clinton made with North Korea – an agreement which ultimately resulted in that country obtaining nuclear weapons.

Politics & Government

5:09 pm

Tue July 14, 2015

A Department of Child Services case manager say she’s handling way too many cases, putting children’s lives at risk, because the agency won’t hire enough people. Now, the ACLU is taking the state to court over the issue.

Indiana law mandates that DCS must have enough caseworkers so that one employee doesn’t supervise more than 17 children at a time. Case manager Mary Price says her caseload is 43 children – too many, she says, to effectively handle.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg raised more money in the first half of 2015 than Governor Mike Pence. And at least one political scientist says, even with the election more than a year away, that could have an impact on how the race shapes up.

Former House Speaker John Gregg managed to out-fundraise the incumbent through June by a little more than $100,000.